Buffy the Vampire Slayer turned the stereotypes of the horror genre on their heads. Before she was “chosen” to be a slayer, Buffy Summers was a typical teenage girl with average ambitions. She seemed like the ditzy blonde that is usually murdered alone in the alleyway. And to top it all off, her name was the most harmless name that anyone could really think of.

Joss Whedon’s Buffy is one of the most powerful female characters ever developed. She was asked to save the world in every episode. She lost her mother, her life (a few times), and those nearest to her. She was almost always selfless, and always fast with a quip. She was always the person to root for.

Here’s a list of our favorite episodes from the show’s seven-season run. If you’ve never watched Buffy, these are a good starting point. If you’re already a fan, what do you need us for? Except as an excuse to look at some pictures from some of the best BtVS eps ever.

Spoilers like crazy throughout.

Season 1, episode 7: “Angel”Buffy the Vampire Slayer compares high school life to various horror tropes. Here Angel, the first guy that Buffy truly likes, turns out to be a vampire.

Season 1, episode 12: “Prophecy Girl”
When guest editing a recent issue of A Magazine, we were allowed to visit the Buffy costume archives with Katie Lucas (who interviewed Joss Whedon for the issue), and we were amazed to find Buffy’s blood-stained white gown alongside Angel’s leather jacket.

Season 2, episodes 13 and 14: “Surprise/Innocence”
“Surprise” has one of our favorite lines by Willow—“It’s Happy Birthday Buffy!”—and is the best analysis of high school first loves. Joss Whedon created the vampire/human love story, and its shocking turn, with Angel becoming a mother’s worst nightmare and a 16-year-old’s evil boyfriend, is honest and intelligent.

Season 2, episode 17: “Passion”
This episode is perfectly written and captures horror in a very humanistic manner. The story is told through Angel’s narration; so while you are seeing the terror he is inflicting, it’s often from his point of view. He wants to torture Buffy. He stalks her. Harasses her. And his obsession leads to the murder of Jenny Calendar, which shatters her new boyfriend (and Buffy’s mentor), Giles, and has repercussions throughout this season and the next one.

Season 2, episode 22: “Becoming (Part 2)”
This is one of the hardest episodes for us to watch. It is heartbreaking. Buffy’s world is destroyed in season two, and while we hate to ruin it (stop reading if you don’t want us to ruin it), the climax, where Buffy finally has to kill Angel, coincides inconveniently with his sudden cure. He is no longer the evil character that had tortured Buffy and her friends. He’s Buffy’s ex-boyfriend, her first love, again. She stabs him and sends him to a literal hell and she still has to go on living without telling anyone that she killed the man that she once loved. It is pretty complicated.

Season 3, episode 15: “Consequences”
Buffy deals with what it means to live such a violent life.

Season 3, episode 20: “The Prom”
We were all excited to see Buffy awarded a token of her class’s appreciation of her commitment to saving their lives.

Season 4, episode 10: “Hush”
This is a masterpiece of television. It is a story told in silence. The episode’s bad guys, the Gentlemen, are the scariest villains ever on the show.

Season 5, episode 16: “The Body”
Buffy’s mother passes away, and this episode tells the story of her death in a second-by-second narrative. Haunting.

Season 5, episode 22: “The Gift”
“She saved the world. A lot.”

Season 6, episode 7: “Once More, With Feeling”
Another genius idea by Joss Whedon. He wanted to explore the most terrifying emotions related to Buffy’s death in season five through song…and dance.

Season 7, episode 7: “Conversations With Dead People”
An abstract ghost story involving the best characters. Perfectly written, again.

Season 7, episode 22: “Chosen”
The Sunnydale sign at the end is such a hard image to get past. The sign, which reads “Welcome to Sunnydale. Enjoy Your Stay!” is a constant reminder of where this story is taking place: a sunny California city that was built on top of a portal called the Hellmouth. It’s where Buffy and her friends live, and also a place where evil likes to lurk. The last-ever shot of this sign, next to the collapsed Hellmouth, was the perfect way to remind fans, and to celebrate, what the show accomplished in its seven seasons. ♦

Kate and Laura Mulleavy started the label Rodarte in 2005. They live in Pasadena, California.

Oh god oh god Rodarte + Buffy… this is the greatest thing that has happened to the universe.
The episode where Buffy’s mom dies is one of the best written episodes of the whole show, and I love that it has no background music so you have to deal with every emotion face to face.
I really think you put together THE best Buffy episodes ever :)
Well, also, the season finale of season 4 is awesome too! It goes through the main character’s dreams, and Giles sings at the Bronze!
And what about that episode featuring Cibo Matto?
And the first episode where Spike and Buffy make love! They destroy an entire house, but still. It’s (darkly and strangely) incredibly romantic.
I agree that The Gentleman are the best villains.
We should make a post about the worst Buffy episodes. Like the one when she turns into a caveman after drinking beer.

!!”Smashed” when Buffy and Spike first have sex AHHH i watched it last night for the trillionth time it’s SO FUCKING HOT
++ basically the Riley years weren’t my favorite
EXCEPT the one where they go to a party at that house and it makes everyone really sexual and crazy and then yea//
<3 Buffy 4eva

ah Buffy is the most wonderful show ever. I watched every single episode over and over last summer and I’m planning on doing that again. It could turn into a tradition. Like, the best tradition ever. Let’s just start a national watch Buffy day. Yes.

Oh wow, I remember watching the episode ‘Hushed’ as a kid, and boy, did it FREAK ME OUT. I used to whisper to myself at night just to make sure I’ve still got my voice! I’m kind of glad to see that I wasn’t the only one spooked out of my mind from that episode…

One thing, though–at the beginning, with all the touting of the show as great for women/girls in a girl powery, eff yeah little femme girls can kick ass sort of way, I would have liked to see a little bit of criticism, too. Buffy is amazing a lot of ways, but from a feminist perspective it is also pretty problematic. It’s even worse in terms of race stuff.

All of that it really unfortunate, because in other ways it’s absolutely great from a feminist perspective. Yeah. But those really are totally awesome episodes! Hush is my favorite. Also, it’s really fun to dress in fuzzy Willow-inspired and tanktoppy Buffy-inspired outfits.

This is incredible! I just saw them speak at LACMA and I’m working on a recap of the lecture to post this weekend. Their appreciation, borderline obsession with horror really makes their stunning creations that much more beautiful and interesting.

I have been watching Buffy since I was little girl and it is still one of my favorite shows of all time. This show represents something rarely seen on television.That is a woman who is not a victim..She is a warrior that is smart ,funny, and stronger than men. Plus it is a great fix for anyone who loves horror!

Should have mentioned the Lynchian episode “Restless.” But seriously, Buffy is so good so good so so so so so so good and I firmly believe that if all but ONE person on this planet were to watch Buffy, it wouldn’t be enough.

I loved Buffy throughout high school and college. It somehow made being a teenager easier, especially as a gay guy. To my surprise, this article (and the fact that Rodarte is tied to it) coincidentally comes at a time when I’m reliving the Buffyverse on Netflix. It’s awesome!

*Spoilers Ahead*

But as a geek, and don’t hate me for this, I have to point out a few things:

1) While I understand that you described Giles as her mentor in this article, I can’t stand by it. He was her Watcher.

2) What made “The Body” so compelling wasn’t only the fact that her mom had died. It was harder to bear because her death wasn’t caused by mystical forces. It was also heartbreaking to see Anya experience a whole new human emotion that she couldn’t grasp.

3) A best episode that wasn’t listed: Willow becomes the Big Bad. How gnarly was that? You cheered for/against her.

4) Another episode not on the list: Showtime. After a tough season watching Buffy tortured with the thought of her own resurrection, it was amazing to see her practice what she preached to the Potentials: bringing the Apocalypse to The First by killing uber-vamp, Turok-Han.

Okay, I just think I out-geeked myself. Rodarte + Buffy = What A Dream! I just now hope producers for the upcoming Buffy re-make/re-adaptation won’t approach the Mulleavy’s to work on costume/styling. That would ruin the Whedonverse.

Oh Buffy, I started watching it 14 years after the first season aired but now I am hooked. Changed my life. And I definitely have the soundtrack of “Once More With Feeling” on my ipod and listen to it repetitively when I’m sad. My husband makes fun of my crush on Spike.

Yoo-hoo! August’s theme is GIVE AND TAKE, and we’d like to take into consideration whatever submissions you have to give about that! (Even/especially if they’re as cheesy as we just were.) Send pitches to submission@rookiemag.com. ✴

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